LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. — Lehigh County wants to thank its volunteer firefighters — and encourage others to join the ranks — by giving them a break on their property tax bills — as soon as this year.
County commissioners are set to consider a tax rebate that would give active volunteer firefighters a $150 rebate on the property taxes they owe to Lehigh County.
- Lehigh County commissioners are proposing a $150 property-tax rebate for volunteer firefighters
- Volunteers must respond to at least 20% of their company’s calls to qualify for the rebate
- Membership at volunteer fire companies is shrinking throughout Lehigh County, Executive Phil Armstrong says
Volunteer firefighters would be eligible for the rebate if they respond to at least 20% of their company’s calls during the first 11 months of that year, according to the proposed ordinance.
Volunteers who can no longer serve because they are injured would qualify for the tax credit for five years.
The proposal is expected to be introduced at the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners' next meeting on April 12 and could be passed at the board’s April 26 meeting.
That would see qualified volunteer firefighters receive the tax rebate after paying their 2023 property tax bills, according to Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong.
Property taxes are Lehigh County’s only tax revenue source, so “it’s going to be a little decrease in our income,” Armstrong said.
“But is it something we can do? Yes,” Armstrong said. “Is that something we should do? Yes.”
Former Gov. Tom Wolf signed a law in November 2016 that authorized local municipalities to offer tax credits to active volunteer firefighters. It was meant to encourage residents and former volunteers to join volunteer fire companies.
The law was expanded in October 2020 to allow home-rule counties, such as Lehigh, to also offer those tax credits.
The state law extends tax rebates to active volunteers at nonprofit emergency medical service agencies, but Lehigh County’s proposed ordinance, as written, is limited to volunteer firefighters.
“The bottom line is that we’re saying, ‘Thank you. We appreciate what you're doing, and the vital service that you provide for the county is definitely worth our $150 tax rebate.'"Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong
About 90% of Pennsylvania’s fire departments are volunteer companies, one of the highest rates in the United States, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s U.S. Fire Administration office.
'Ultimate form of community service'
Lehigh County’s proposed property tax rebate is a way of thanking Lehigh County’s volunteer firefighters, who pay for their own training and certification courses, Armstrong said.
“The bottom line is that we’re saying, ‘Thank you. We appreciate what you're doing, and the vital service that you provide for the county is definitely worth our $150 tax rebate,” he said.
Membership at volunteer fire companies is shrinking in the 22 Lehigh County municipalities that rely on them, according to the county executive. Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton have professional fire companies, whose employees would not qualify for the property tax rebate, Armstrong said.
The proposed ordinance also includes a fine of up to $2,500 for anyone who falsifies their service record or submit a fraudulent application.
Serving as a volunteer firefighter is "the ultimate form of community service," county Commissioner Antonio Pineda said. Pineda is sponsoring the proposed ordinance.
He said he is "very confident" the proposal will receive the full support of the Board of Commissioners.
Armstrong, a former volunteer firefighter from a firefighting family, put out a call for Lehigh County residents to serve their communities by joining a volunteer company.
“We need people to help out with these fire companies,” Armstrong said. “We’re doing what we can, but … we need to get volunteers.”
